Madonna Wayne Gacy
Encyclopedia
Stephen Gregory Bier Jr., formerly known by his stage name
Madonna Wayne Gacy (born March 6, 1964, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
) is the former keyboard
player for Marilyn Manson
, 1989-2007. His stage name came from the names of the singer Madonna
and the serial killer
John Wayne Gacy
. He has also been referred to as Pogo (John Wayne Gacy's clown
name).
.
in late 1989 (though unfortunately subjugating the Keyboardist position due to a lack of a keyboard) until Zsa Zsa Speck left the band after only playing two shows. Bier had not bought a keyboard yet, So he played with toy soldiers on stage until he bought himself a keyboard. Bier has played the following instruments or sound-shaping techniques on Marilyn Manson's albums: calliope
, Hammond organ
, saxophone
, theremin
, various brass
instruments, overdubs, loops
, bassoon
, drums
, electronic drum
s, piano
, sampling
, mellotron
, shaker
, and synthesizer
. He is responsible for much of the Kabbalic
and numerological
meanings behind Manson's albums.
Bier did not contribute to Marilyn Manson's album Eat Me, Drink Me
. Manson has stated in interviews that Bier is now a photographer. Chris Vrenna has been confirmed as his replacement.
On August 2, 2007, it was reported that Bier filed a lawsuit against Manson for unpaid "partnership proceeds". Bier claims Manson spent the band's earnings on "sick and disturbing purchases of Nazi memorabilia and taxidermy (including the skeleton of a young Chinese girl)" and on various other luxurious items. Bier claimed that Manson "devised a campaign to drive Bier out of the band and rob him of his entitlement". On December 19, 2007, Manson filed a counter suit against Bier, accusing him of breach of contract.
According to metalunderground.com, the lawsuit was settled for a sum far less than what was originally sought by Bier with the total being $380,000. $175,000 was paid out by Marilyn Manson while the rest was ordered to be paid by Stephen Bier's former Business Managers.
He now is involved in a band called MMII, with Brian Diemar, and Hoss.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Madonna Wayne Gacy (born March 6, 1964, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
) is the former keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player for Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
, 1989-2007. His stage name came from the names of the singer Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and the serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy, Jr. was an American serial killer, rapist and clown who sexually assaulted and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978. Gacy buried 26 of his victims in the crawlspace of his home, buried three others elsewhere on his property, and discarded the...
. He has also been referred to as Pogo (John Wayne Gacy's clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
name).
Personal life
Stephen Bier was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to a Jewish father and Catholic mother. His parents were both school teachers. Bier attended college for six years, achieving a degree in industrial engineering. After completing college, Bier applied for a job at NASA, but said it wasn't the job he wanted. Bier has a fascination with all things German, Japanese, and KabbalahKabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
.
Career
Stephen Bier joined Marilyn MansonMarilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
in late 1989 (though unfortunately subjugating the Keyboardist position due to a lack of a keyboard) until Zsa Zsa Speck left the band after only playing two shows. Bier had not bought a keyboard yet, So he played with toy soldiers on stage until he bought himself a keyboard. Bier has played the following instruments or sound-shaping techniques on Marilyn Manson's albums: calliope
Calliope (music)
A calliope is a musical instrument that produces sound by sending a gas, originally steam or more recently compressed air, through large whistles, originally locomotive whistles....
, Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
, various brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
instruments, overdubs, loops
Music loop
In electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
, bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
, drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, electronic drum
Electronic drum
An electronic drum is an electronic synthesizer which mimics an acoustic drum kit.The electronic drum usually consists of a set of pads mounted on a stand in a disposition similar to an acoustic drum kit. The pads are discs with a rubber or cloth-like coating. Each pad has a sensor which generates...
s, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
, mellotron
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, shaker
Idiophone
An idiophone is any musical instrument which creates sound primarily by way of the instrument's vibrating, without the use of strings or membranes. It is the first of the four main divisions in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification...
, and synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
. He is responsible for much of the Kabbalic
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
and numerological
Numerology
Numerology is any study of the purported mystical relationship between a count or measurement and life. It has many systems and traditions and beliefs...
meanings behind Manson's albums.
Bier did not contribute to Marilyn Manson's album Eat Me, Drink Me
Eat Me, Drink Me
Eat Me, Drink Me is the sixth full-length studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on June 5, 2007, debuting at number 8 in the United States with more than 80,000 copies sold in the first week. It was recorded in a rented home-recording studio in Hollywood, California by...
. Manson has stated in interviews that Bier is now a photographer. Chris Vrenna has been confirmed as his replacement.
On August 2, 2007, it was reported that Bier filed a lawsuit against Manson for unpaid "partnership proceeds". Bier claims Manson spent the band's earnings on "sick and disturbing purchases of Nazi memorabilia and taxidermy (including the skeleton of a young Chinese girl)" and on various other luxurious items. Bier claimed that Manson "devised a campaign to drive Bier out of the band and rob him of his entitlement". On December 19, 2007, Manson filed a counter suit against Bier, accusing him of breach of contract.
According to metalunderground.com, the lawsuit was settled for a sum far less than what was originally sought by Bier with the total being $380,000. $175,000 was paid out by Marilyn Manson while the rest was ordered to be paid by Stephen Bier's former Business Managers.
He now is involved in a band called MMII, with Brian Diemar, and Hoss.
Discography
- Portrait of an American FamilyPortrait of an American FamilyPortrait of an American Family is the debut full-length studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on July 19, 1994 in the US through Nothing and Interscope Records. It was produced by the band's frontman and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails...
(Marilyn Manson, 1994) - The Hearts Filthy LessonThe Hearts Filthy Lesson"The Hearts Filthy Lesson" is a song by David Bowie, from his 1995 album Outside, and issued as a single ahead of the album. It showcased Bowie's new, industrial-influenced sound. The lack of an apostrophe in the title is deliberate. Lyrically, the single connects with the rest of the album, with...
single (US) (David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, 1995) (uncredited) - Smells Like ChildrenSmells Like ChildrenSmells Like Children is a EP by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on October 24, 1995 in the US through Nothing and Interscope Records. It was produced by the band's frontman and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails...
(Marilyn Manson, 1995) - Antichrist SuperstarAntichrist SuperstarAntichrist Superstar is the second full-length studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on October 8, 1996 in the US through Nothing and Interscope Records. The record's success in mainstream charts propelled the band into a household name and turned its frontman overnight...
(Marilyn Manson, 1996) - Remix & Repent (Marilyn Manson, 1997)
- Lost Highway Soundtrack - Apple of Sodom (uncredited, 1997)
- Mechanical AnimalsMechanical AnimalsMechanical Animals is the third full-length studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on September 14, 1998, in Australia and on September 15, 1998, in the US, Germany and France through Nothing and Interscope Records and marked the beginning of the band's brief foray into...
(Marilyn Manson, 1998) - Dead Man on Campus Soundtrack (Marilyn Manson's cover of David Bowie's "Golden YearsGolden Years (song)An updated single for "Golden Years" was released in 2011 to coincide with the re-release of Station to Station. 4 new remixes were provided by DJs from radio station KCRW in California.-Track listing:# "Golden Years " - 3:27...
", 1999) - Detroit Rock City (Marilyn Manson's cover of AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
's "Highway to HellHighway to Hell (song)"Highway to Hell" is the opening track of AC/DC's 1979 album Highway to Hell and the twelfth track on AC/DC Live. It was initially released as a single in 1979....
", 1999) - The Last Tour on EarthThe Last Tour on EarthThe Last Tour on Earth is a live album comprising recordings from Marilyn Manson's Mechanical Animals and Rock is Dead tours. On the studio version of "The Dope Show", Manson says that drugs "are made in California", but in the live version, he says that "drugs, they say, are made right here in...
(Marilyn Manson, 1999) - Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)Holy Wood is the fourth studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson, released in November 2000 through Nothing and Interscope Records. The album marked a return to the industrial and alternative metal style of the band's earlier efforts, after the modernized glam rock sound of Mechanical...
(Marilyn Manson, 2000) - Guns, God and GovernmentGuns, God and GovernmentGuns, God and Government is a concert film chronicling the band Marilyn Manson during their Guns, God and Government Tour. It was released on October 29, 2002 on the formats VHS, DVD and UMD...
(Marilyn Manson, 2000) - The Golden Age of GrotesqueThe Golden Age of GrotesqueInitial critical response to The Golden Age of Grotesque was mixed. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 60, indicating mixed or average reviews, based on 12 publications...
(Marilyn Manson, 2003) - Lest We Forget: The Best of Marilyn MansonLest We Forget (album)-Notes:*Tracks 1, 4, 8 and 14 are from Holy Wood *Track 2 previously unreleased*Tracks 3, 7 and 18 are from The Golden Age of Grotesque*Track 5 is from the Not Another Teen Movie ...
(Marilyn Manson, 2004) - Lost & FoundLost & Found (Marilyn Manson album)-Personnel:* Marilyn Manson – vocals* Daisy Berkowitz – guitar, programming * Zim Zum – guitar * John Lowery – guitar * Gidget Gein – bass * Twiggy Ramirez – bass * Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, sampling* Sara Lee Lucas – drums...
(Marilyn Manson, 2008)